You are:

News

DB Cargo Pay Dispute Update: Robbing the Poor to give to the Rich

7 September 2018

Since your staff reps walked out of the last pay meeting due to the appalling pay offer of just 1.8% increase to basic salaries ONLY over a 9-month period, the Company have now made a revised offer, which is equally appalling.

The revised pay offer, which has been confirmed by the Company as their full and final offer is:

· An increase of 2.2% to basic salaries ONLY

· This increase shall be over 15-months NOT 12 months

· A change to your pay anniversary date form 1st April to 1st July 2019

This is an absolute insult!

· The increase will NOT be pensionable

· The increase will NOT apply to any allowances

· In real terms this is a pay cut

The Company has already committed to an increase for Engineering staff which equates to around 15% over a three-year period, they have already committed to a reduction to the working week to 32-hours for Drivers. Where is DB Cargo getting the finances from to pay for these deals? YOU. The money that the company will save from any increase they award you not being pensionable or being applied to your allowances will help pay for the Drivers reduced hours and the Engineering deal worth around 15%.

The Company believe that you should be grateful for this pitiful increase. You have had NO increase for three-years, you deserve so much more. Your pensionable pay has been capped for the last 3+ years, when most other grades have continued to get pensionable pay increases.

Whilst you may look at this offer and think 2.2% is not too bad, think again! You are allowing yourselves to be treated as second class citizens, your pensions will suffer, your allowances will continue to be frozen. Meanwhile, Drivers and Engineering salaries will continue to grow.

A 2.2% pay increase on a driver’s salary compared to 2.2% increase on a TS5 /6 or ground staff salary for example is hugely different.

No other grade group has had their pay anniversary date changed. All other grades have had a 12-month deal NOT a 15-month deal.

Managers have received their bonus’s and shareholders have been paid, yet the people who ensure targets are hit for managers to receive bonus payments, are YOU.

As this is the Company’s full and final pay offer, your staff reps and I believe it should be rejected on the basis that it is no where near enough for the hard work and loyalty our members have given the Company over recent years. We want to be able to take a clear strong message back to DB Cargo from an industrial action ballot where members stand together and demand more. We are not asking for silly amounts, we are asking that you be treated the same as others within the business, having reduced hours and pensionable pay increases and those increases to be applied to your allowances, is this too much to ask?

I would ask that ALL members vote to reject this appalling offer when you receive a ballot paper. Surely you want to try and improve your pay offer and working conditions. We believe you are worth more, don’t you! Do not sit back and accept such a derisory offer, certainly do not pay for other grades to receive better increases/deals.

You have the power and the strength to make DB Cargo take notice of you, YOU have the power to influence the Company’s position, YOU have the power to work together and win

If you have any questions please speak to your staff reps and more importantly, ask your colleagues who are not yet TSSA members to joining to make your voices louder.